Locomotive-furnace arch.



A. W. NELSON.

LOCOMOTIVE FURNACE ARCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, I913.

1,138,054. Patented May 4, 1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.ARTHUR W. NELSON. OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNO-R, BY MESNE ASSIGNMLFTS, 10 AMERICAN ARGHCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

LOCOMOTIVE-FURNACE ARCH.

spee cation of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

To all whom it may, (awn-arm:

Be it known that l, .Al'lllllil Nnisorc, a citizen of the United States. and a resident of'Chicago, county of (fool-c and State Illinois, have invented certain new and use Another object of my invention is to provide a multiple brick arch for locomotive fire-boxes equipped with arch supporting tubes which shall require but a single form of brick for the entire arch; and a further object is to provide an arch which at the same time shall .be easily adjustable to considerable variations in the widths of the fire-boxes, to irregularities in the spacing or arrangement of the arch supporting tubes, to irregularities in the spacing of the side tubes from the side sheets, and to locomotives equipped with any number of arch tubes.

My invention consists generally in a lomomotive tire-box having a group of arch tubes longitudinally arranged therein and spaced throughout the width thereof, in combination with a plurality of identical brick, each brick resting at one end directly upon a tube, and a number together closing the space between the side sheets.

My invention consists further in a locomotive fire-box having a group of longitudinally extending arch tubes spaced throughout the width thereof in ciunbination with arefractory arch body a rrangcd therein and closing the space between the side sheets, said arch body comprising a plurality of identical arch bricks, eacht brick restimg upon a tube at one end and engaging the adjacent brick or side sheet with the other end.

My invention consists further in the unique arrangement, construction, and combination of parts whereby the objects named above and others which will appear hereinafter are attainable.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the au-oinpanying drawing illustrating the preferred form thereof and in which Figure l is a longitudinal section of a locomotive tire-box equpped with an arch embodying my invention; Pie. 2 is anon larged transverse section substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 'l; l es. 3 and 4 are views similar to but showing the arch in position in the furnaces of ditl'crent Widths and wherein the spaced relation of the arch tubes and the side sheets vary; Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustrating my arch arranged in a locomotive furnace equipped with four arch tubes; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the unique bricks of my arch. Fig. 7 is a bottom plane view of the bricl; shown in (5; Fig. 8 is a detailed view illustrating the modified form of arch brick; and Fig. ii is a bottom plane view of the brick shown in Fig. 8.

The locomotives now iunse as well as those which are continuallv being constructed vary in size, form. and arrangement with the result that the furnaces thereof also assume ditlerent shapes, sizes and. prom'utions. Hence, in the practical designing of the locomotive furnace it is necessary, and desirable, to space the arch tubes in some of the fur naces in a. ditl'orent manner than on others. For example, some of the wider furnaces require a greater number of arch tubes than he narrower furnace. and in someinstances. in furnaces of the same width, it is necessary to vary the spaced relation of the tubes and their relation to the side sheets. -When equipping old loeon'iotive furnaces with arch tubes, other conditions are also encounter-ml which prevent any regularity in the spaced relation of the arch tubes. it will thus be seen that in providin; locomotive furnaces with are-hes. a great number ol' conditions must be met. l am aware that. arches rave been devised for installation into furnaces of varying sizes and shapes and having dil fcrent numbers 0t arch tubes, The practical arches hitherto devised, however. are

composed ol many (lillerently shaped briehs and many forms of bricks, i. 0., a single arch often requires a special arrangement or placing of these bricks within the arch itself.

removed without disturbing or breaking down the remainder of the arch; Y

The advantagesof'my arch will be more readily understood by reference to the drawing wherein 2 represents the flue sheet of a locomotive'furnace, 3-3 the sidesheets, 4 the rear sheet and 5 the crown sheet. The arch tubes 10 extend from the lower part of the flue sheet 2 to'the upper part of the rear. sheet 4, thusioccupying an inclined position well adapted for circulation of water from the front water leg 9 through the arch tubes and; into the rear water leg 9". As

' stated, the number of tubes inan-arch is dependent in a measure aiponthe size and type of the locomotivefaswell as other factors m locomotive construction. 0 While. the "arch here shown is a front arch, I'wish it to be understood that my arch is adapted/.for'use, without materiagl modification, as a rear h. "1 k Referring to Fig. '2 'whTch is 'a cross-sectional vie'wof the arch shwn in Fig. 1, it

will be seen that the tubes 10'are substantially equally s'pabed onsi from the other and from the sidesheets' 3. his is the preferred arrangement since it is adapted best to bricks of uniform size, butother cond tions often prevent such spacing. For convenieneein description I shallrefer to the two tubes nearest respective'side sheets as the side tubes. The tubes 10 serve to support a plurality of refractory bricks12 which to-- gether serve to close the space between the side sheets and form an arch or bafile wall. These brick, it will be noted, are identical in construction. Each brick has a grooved portion 13 for engagement with an arch tube 10.. The brick is quite thiek adjacent the end contaiaing the groove and tapers generallyto a somewhat'reduccd end portion 14. At the thicker end of the tube I provide an inclined face 15 which extends'u and rearwardl'y from the groove 13. The ength and the size of this brick may vary under certain conditions, but its length is usually slightly greater than the mean between all of the va: rious spaced relations of the arch tubes with one another and of'the spaced relation of the side tubes and the side sheetsthat are met in practice. '1' find that bricks of such size are admirably adapted to construct arches un-' dcr all the conditions named.

As is well shown in Fig.2 certain offthe brick restupon the side tubes of the group and extend upwardly into engagement with the side sheet and others rest upon the 5111i; tubes and extend into engagement with the inclined portion 15 of the brick next a jacent. It will be noted, therefore, that cash brick finds one of its supports dircrt y u mu the arch tube, and that the other and tends therefrom in lever-like manner and either abuts the side sheet or an inclined suifaee of the adjacent brick. In use these bricks quickly wedge firmly into place.

I In order that the danger ofbrcakin; the free end of the brick may be reduced, i prefor slightly to round it as indicated at US. For the sake of convenience I shall icrm the bricks which rest upon the arch tubes and extend in levei like manner into engagement with the adjaci'mt brick as the body of the arelu'aud the brick which extend between the side tubes and side sheets as side bricks. .In order that the support of the brick upon the arch tube may be increased and to the end that the likelihood. of displacement therefrom may be reduced, I may provide lugs 17 which embrace a greater part of the arch tube than the remainder of the brick and present a rigid arch. The bricks oppose each other and therefore prevent any dis placement of the arch tubes. For some purposes it isnot nr cssarv to provide additional support upon the tubes in the form of lugs, in which case the brick may be .uuule as shown in Figs. 8 and S), with simply a groove extending across the lower end of the brick.

' To lighten the arch I prefer to recess it as indicated at 18. By re fence to I g. 3 it will be seen that the same brick adapted for use in an arch in which the side sheets are much closer to the side tubes than in the arch depicted in Fig. N or is special skill necessary'in adapting niyiarch to the differ-cut furnaces as the bricks will of themselves find their proper position when once they are placed upon the tube.

In Fig. 4: I have ilh'istrated the arch ar-' ranged in a locomotive furnace in which th distance between the side tubes and the side sheets is much greater than that between'the respective tubesfbut, as is evident by ref erence to that figure, the same bricks, serve admirably for use in such a furnace.

In many of the arches hitherto devised, different forms of brick must be provided for every furnace having a different nuznber of tubes, With my arch, however, a single brick. form serves with any number of tubes which may be used. In Fig. 5 the arch is shown-as applied to a four tube furnace. I 1

Another. result that should be carefully avoided when providing a locomotive furnace with an arch-is that the fire does not play upon the side sheet higher at one side than at the other and that the distancesbethroughout.

ZWQCI. the grate and the arch are not greater at on =v side that at the other. This result avoided in my arch as both side sheets are exposed to the same extent and the spaces between the grate and arc" cress-sectionally considered, are substantially the same From this detailed. description it is believed that the objects and advantages of my novel arch will-he apparent to those skilled in the art, but since modifications will readily suggest themselves, I do not dcto be limited to the exact construction cin shown and described, except may necessary by express limitations in the claims hereunto appended.

I claim:

1. in a locomotive firebox the combination or a group of arch tubes, the side tubes being spaced from the side sheets, bricks resting upon the side tubes and abutting the side sheets,'an inclined wedged portion on each brick adjacent the tube supported end, and other identical bricks having one and supported on an arch tube and the other end resting upon and supported by the inclined wed portions oi": the adjacent bricks.

In a locomotive furnace a group 0 spaced arch tubes in combination with a plurality of bricks forming a refractory tire arch, each urick. supported at one end only upon an arch tube, and extending therefrom in lever-like manner, and spanning the distance between adjacent tubes and having its other end resting upon an adjacent brick.

In a locomotive furnace, the combination 01' a group of spaced arch tubes, with a plurality of identical bricks forming a tubes, and an upstanding iuclinodbrickabutting portion on each brick at the tube supported end for cooperation with the end of the adjacent brick.

4:. In a locoinotive furnace equipped with a group of longitudinally arranged and laterally spaced arch tubes, a plurality of identical refractory bricks forming an arch therein, eich'brick resting at one end upon an arch tube and having an upstanding inclined portion at the tube supported end, the bricks supported upon the side tubes tending inlo wcdging engagement with the side sheets of the furnace, and the other bricks extending into wcdging engagement with and bein supported upon the inclined portion of the brick next adjacent.

5. in a kcomotive furnace, agroup of arch tubes 0t less width than the fire-box, in combination with a brick arch. arranged therein and composed of one brick form, each brick being supported at one end upon a tube and having a groove therein for complcnientary engagement with the tube, and. an inclined upstanding portion rising from the groove serving as a support for theend of the next adjacent brick,

In testimony my hand, this 22nd day of September, 1913, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR W. NELSON.

Vv'itnesses M. SIMON, Jonn R. LEFEVRE.

whereof, I have hereunto 

